James Drury Dies: Star Of Long-Running Western ‘The Virginian’ Was 85
James Drury, who played the mysterious, nameless title character on the 1960s NBC Western The Virginian, died today of natural causes. He was 85. His death was announced on the actor’s Facebook page by his longtime assistant, Karen Lindsey.“It is with immense sadness that I let you all know that James Drury, our beloved Virginian and dear friend passed away this morning of natural causes,” Lindsey wrote. “He will be missed so much. It is beyond words.”The Virginian was TV’s first 90-minute Western and ended up being one of its longest running and enduring, airing nearly 250 episodes from 1962-1971. Drury’s character never revealed his real name as he “forced his idea of ...